[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 158 (Monday, August 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43969-43970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22087]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting Notice

    In accordance with the purposes of Sections 29 and 182b. of the 
Atomic Energy Act (42 U.S.C. 2039, 2232b), the Advisory Committee on 
Reactor Safeguards will hold a meeting on September 2-4, 1998, in 
Conference Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The 
date of this meeting was previously published in the Federal Register 
on Thursday, November 20, 1997 (62 FR 62079).

Wednesday, September 2, 1998

    8:30 A.M.--8:45 A.M.: Opening Remarks by the ACRS Chairman (Open)--
The ACRS Chairman will make opening remarks regarding conduct of the 
meeting.
    8:45 A.M.--10:15 A.M.: Power Level Increase Request for the Edwin 
I. Hatch Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (Open/Closed)--The Committee will 
hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the 
Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNOC) and the NRC staff regarding 
the SNOC's application for a power level increase of 8% for the Edwin 
I. Hatch Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2.

    [Note: A portion of this session may be closed to discuss 
General Electric Nuclear Energy proprietary information.]

    10:30 A.M.--12:00 Noon: Impact of the Probabilistic Risk Assessment 
(PRA) Results and Insights on the Regulatory System (Open)--The 
Committee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with 
representatives of the NRC staff and the Nuclear Energy Institute 
regarding situation-specific cases where PRA results and insights have 
improved the existing regulatory system, and specific areas in which 
PRA can have a positive impact on the regulatory system.
    1:00 P.M.--2:30 P.M.: Establishing a Benchmark on Risk During Low-
Power and Shutdown Operations (Open)--The Committee will hear 
presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC 
staff regarding staff activities associated with establishing a 
benchmark on risk during low-power and shutdown operations, and related 
matters.
    2:45 P.M.--4:15 P.M.: Emergency Core Cooling System Strainer 
Blockage (Open)--The Committee will hear presentations by and hold 
discussions with representatives of the NRC staff and BWR Owners Group 
regarding the NRC staff's safety evaluation of the BWR Owners Group 
Utility Resolution Guide for emergency core cooling system strainer 
blockage.
    4:30 P.M.--7:00 P.M.: Preparation of ACRS Reports (Open)--The 
Committee will discuss proposed ACRS reports on matters considered 
during this meeting. In addition, the Committee will discuss proposed 
ACRS reports on the lessons learned from the review of the AP600 
passive plant design and on the U.S. Naval Reactors program. The 
Committee will also discuss proposed technical papers to be presented 
at the October 1998 Quadripartite meeting.

Thursday, September 3, 1998

    8:30 A.M.--8:35 A.M.: Opening Remarks by the ACRS Chairman (Open)--
The ACRS Chairman will make opening remarks regarding conduct of the 
meeting.
    8:35 A.M.--10:00 A.M.: Proposed Resolution of Generic Safety Issue 
171, ``Engineered Safety Feature Failure from Loss of Offsite Power 
Subsequent to a Loss-of-Coolant Accident'' (Open)--The Committee will 
hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the 
NRC staff regarding the proposed resolution of Generic Safety Issue 
171.
    10:15 A.M.--11:45 A.M.: Meeting with the Director of the NRC Office 
for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data (AEOD) (Open)--The 
Committee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with the AEOD 
Director regarding items of mutual interest, including:
     Long-term strategy for the Accident Sequence Precursor 
(ASP) computer codes, including Criteria for accuracy, range of 
application, and treatment of uncertainty.
     Methods for planning case studies. How these plans are 
affected by emphasis on risk-information in the regulatory process. 
Shaping these case studies for use in validating PRA methods.
     Strategy for encouraging greater use of AEOD studies 
within the NRC and within the larger reactor safety community.
     Should AEOD be collecting data etc., outside the nuclear 
industry? For example, should AEOD collect data on the vulnerabilities 
of digital electronic systems and software encountered in other 
industries and applications?
     AEOD activities associated with evaluating foreign event 
data.
    11:45 A.M.--12:00 Noon: Reconciliation of ACRS Comments and 
Recommendations (Open)--The Committee will discuss responses from the 
NRC Executive Director for Operations (EDO) to comments and 
recommendations included in recent ACRS reports, including EDO's 
responses to ACRS comments and recommendations on the NRC Reactor Fuels 
Research Program, Draft Supplement 1 to NUREG 1552, ``Fire Barrier 
Penetration Seals in Nuclear Power Plants'', and on the Proposed Final 
Standard Review Plan Section 3.9.8 and Regulatory Guide 1.178 for Risk-
Informed Inservice Inspection of Piping.

[[Page 43970]]

    1:00 P.M.--2:15 P.M.: Degraded Auxiliary Feedwater System 
Capability During a Rapid Downpower Event at the Catawba Nuclear Plant, 
Unit 1 (Open)--The Committee will hear presentations by and hold 
discussions with representatives of the NRC staff regarding the May 7, 
1998 incident at Catawba, Unit 1 involving degraded auxiliary feedwater 
system capability.
    2:15--3:00 P.M.: Prioritization of Generic Safety Issues (Open)--
The Committee will hold discussions with representatives of the NRC 
staff regarding ACRS members' comments on the priority rankings 
proposed by the staff for a group of Generic Safety Issues.
    3:15 P.M.--4:30 P.M. Report of the Planning and Procedures 
Subcommittee (Open/Closed)--The Committee will hear a report of the 
Planning and Procedures Subcommittee on matters related to the conduct 
of ACRS business, and organizational and personnel matters relating to 
the ACRS, including qualifications of candidates for ACRS membership.

    [Note: A portion of this session may be closed to discuss 
organizational and personnel matters that relate solely to the 
internal personnel rules and practices of this Advisory Committee, 
and information the release of which would constitute a clearly 
unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.]

    4:45 P.M.--7:00 P.M.: Preparation of ACRS Reports (Open)--The 
Committee will continue its discussion of proposed ACRS reports.

Friday, September 4, 1998

    8:30 A.M.--9:15 A.M.: Future ACRS Activities (Open)--The Committee 
will discuss the recommendations of the Planning and Procedures 
Subcommittee regarding items proposed for consideration by the full 
Committee during future meetings.
    9:15 A.M.--4:00 P.M. (12:00--1:00 P.M. lunch): Preparation of ACRS 
Reports (Open)--The Committee will continue its discussion of proposed 
ACRS reports.
    4:00 P.M.--4:30 P.M.: Miscellaneous (Open)--The Committee will 
discuss matters related to the conduct of Committee activities and 
matters and specific issues that were not completed during previous 
meetings, as time and availability of information permit.
    Procedures for the conduct of and participation in ACRS meetings 
were published in the Federal Register on September 4, 1997 (62 FR 
46782). In accordance with these procedures, oral or written views may 
be presented by members of the public, including representatives of the 
nuclear industry. Electronic recordings will be permitted only during 
the open portions of the meeting and questions may be asked only by 
members of the Committee, its consultants, and staff. Persons desiring 
to make oral statements should notify Mr. Sam Duraiswamy, Chief of the 
Nuclear Reactors Branch, at least five days before the meeting, if 
possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made to allow 
necessary time during the meeting for such statements. Use of still, 
motion picture, and television cameras during this meeting may be 
limited to selected portions of the meeting as determined by the 
Chairman.
    Information regarding the time to be set aside for this purpose may 
be obtained by contacting the Chief of the Nuclear Reactors Branch 
prior to the meeting. In view of the possibility that the schedule for 
ACRS meetings may be adjusted by the Chairman as necessary to 
facilitate the conduct of the meeting, persons planning to attend 
should check with the Chief of the Nuclear Reactors Branch if such 
rescheduling would result in major inconvenience.
    In accordance with Subsection 10(d), P.L. 92-463, I have determined 
that it is necessary to close portions of this meeting noted above to 
discuss matters that relate solely to the internal personnel rules and 
practices of this Advisory Committee per 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(2), General 
Electric Nuclear Energy proprietary information per 5 U.S.C. 
552b(c)(4), and to discuss information the release of which would 
constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy per 5 
U.S.C. 552b(c)(6).
    Further information regarding topics to be discussed, whether the 
meeting has been canceled or rescheduled, the Chairman's ruling on 
requests for the opportunity to present oral statements and the time 
allotted therefor, can be obtained by contacting Mr. Sam Duraiswamy, 
Chief of the Nuclear Reactors Branch (telephone 301/415-7364), between 
7:30 A.M. and 4:15 P.M. EDT.
    ACRS meeting agenda, meeting transcripts, and letter reports are 
available for downloading or reviewing on the internet at http://
www.nrc.gov/ACRSACNW.

    Dated: August 11, 1998.
Andrew L. Bates,
Advisory Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-22087 Filed 8-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P